Travis Payne
Travis Payne is a co-founder of the Watcher's P.I. and has a special ability. Mostly known for his short temper and sarcasm, Travis can be your best friend or your worst enemy - there is no in between. His sole purpose in life is to help those unable to help themselves, in the same vain as "Robin Hood". He was once given the nickname, Breeze, by Trinity Stern in association to his ability. Early Life Travis Payne was born in Moreno Valley, California to Janet Linda Payne and Jamal Payne II. Unfortunately, Travis’ mother Janet left not two months after his birth, making his father Jamal an only parent. In his early years growing up he dealt with a lonely childhood, having had no other siblings to accommodate him. For the most part Travis was quiet and reclusive from the outside world. Even his father found it difficult to talk with Travis openly. But it wasn’t until Middle School that Travis started to open up more to the society. He became familiar with his peers and hung out with different crowds in school. It was an experience that Travis never opened himself to experience before. This point of Travis’ life was a change of pace for the young boy even though he did keep to himself on occasion. When High School rolled around, Travis found it wasn’t as easy to communicate with his peers as it was in Middle School. The peers were more mature and the crowds had specific members that didn’t include him. So for the first three years of High School, Travis became what most would call, an outcast. And though his lack of popularity was known throughout the school, Travis never made it an issue to bring up to his father. Instead Travis found other ways to keep busy on slow days on campus, such as reading fantasy books, drawing pictures, and writing stories in his journal. Travis was not going to let the term “social outcast” bring him down. In his last year of High School, Travis and his father Jamal moved out to the State of Rhode Island due to relocation of Jamal’s job position. For Travis the move was not a big deal, just another excuse to go to school with jerks in other states. So Travis skimmed through his Senior year in High School as fast as he could so that he could go out, get a job, and be independent on his own since college was never on his agenda. Not that he wasn’t enjoying the company of his father, but Travis felt the need to go out and challenge the world with what it had to offer. A month after graduation Travis packed up a suitcase full of clothes, books, notepads, and pens so that he could ride on the Greyhound Bus into the land of opportunity. Travis’ first and last stop was in New York, New York. It was here that Travis discovered something strangely different. Not so much with the city and the way the wind blew, but with himself. One day as Travis was walking the dark streets of New York, the wind blowing forcefully cold, he found himself being mugged by two thieves. Travis did what was told and gave his wallet and all his belongings up to the men, but apparently for the criminals that wasn’t enough. It was then that the two men started to beat and kick Travis as he covered himself in a wet, cold alleyway. Suddenly, Travis’ temper got the best of him and he let out a cry for them to stop, causing a huge gust of cold piercing wind to come swooping down on the two thieves. They were sent flying back further into the alley. At that moment Travis could feel the influence of all the air around him. There was an unexplainable pull with the air that he couldn’t help but feel all around him. It was indeed…overwhelming. But that doesn’t go without saying that trying to control his ability is a struggle within itself. Travis was at the time living in a small one bedroom apartment working part time at a movie theater downtown, but has since moved pass all that. New York Bomb Plot Travis led a fairly normal life the first couple of months living in New York City. Working from 9 to 5 at a low paying movie theater on the rough side of town, the young man went on with life pretending as if though his abilities didn't exist. Of course there was always the feeling inside Travis that made him feel compelled to do something good with his ability - much like a superhero in the comics. Committing to the idea of becoming a "superhero" never really was an issue with him until he met with Harrison Mosley, an individual who also shared a special ability. After hustling their way through several poker game across town, the two would become great friends and ultimately found the Watcher's P.I. together. Travis' true heroics came in the form of having to help break his friend, Harrison, out of a Pinehearst holding cell. Shortly after the rescue mission, the two men were transported to a Primatech lab where they were made aware of a possible bomb set to explode in New York, capable of killing countless people in the city. During this time Travis met up with Adam Lynch (who was going by the alias of Danny Wallace at the time), and Nick Black (a man Travis would grow to hate immensely). The four men banded together to disable the bomb located at the bottom of the Primatech building - known only as Level 5. Upon reaching Level 5 the group soon ran into another man who went by the name Danny Wallace, whom Adam Lynch convinced the other men was the culprit. Soon the group was aware of Adam Lynch's real identity and his master plans, thus giving the real Danny Wallace time to both stop the bomb and make away with Adam Lynch. Watcher's P.I., Government, and Death Plot Travis quit his job at the movie theater several weeks after the bomb incident occurred. Taking influence from the great "Robin Hood" story, Travis would take money from the drug lords, the gangsters, and crooked cops just to give to those less fortunate. Though this was not enough for the young man. He knew there had to be more specials such as himself out there in the world and he wanted to find them and utilize their abilities for the greater good. It wasn't until one day while watching movies and drinking beer with his best friend Harrison that the two men decided to form a group of "specials" dedicated to solving cases the regular police couldn't solve; this group would be called Watcher's P.I. Though relatively small the group consisted of fairly powerful individuals: Travis, Harrison, Anzhela DeFrancisco, Michael Zyre and Trixie McKnight. Every member of the group took individual cases, but the three cases that the Watchers' did do together would become much more personal than any of them would have figured: The Fixer Killer, The Ice Killer (revealed to be Adam Lynch), and the disappearance of specials around the city (including most of the Watcher's P.I. team). With the help of Harrison, the two men went on a search for their friends and the other specials imprisoned in cells. In his travels, Travis met with several individuals along the way - such as Ben Webb, the man that not only was responsible for Michael Zyre's kidnapping but could make aware of his whereabouts. Between the two men, both had leads to getting their friends back safely, however Travis knew they would not be able to do it alone. He used several connections with Gwen Matthews and Justin Marvalo to obtain information on some of the groups capturing specials. Thus Travis and his friend were called to a meeting built entirely of people with abilities, including: Adam Lynch, Danny Wallace, Justin Marvlo, Nick Black, Ben Webb, Pacy McNeil, Patrick Solidus, and others. There was also the text message appearance of a mystique character that only went by the name Pulse. Upon reaching their required destination and helping their friends escape from the cells to which they were confined in, Travis came across one particular cell that held his mother, Janet Linda Marshall. Learning that his mother had an ability similar to premonition, he was told that this would be were he would die with his mother. Not too soon after, the two specials were shot (by Jeff Pace) in the same cell Janet claimed they would be, but not before Janet told Travis to look for a man named Zeph. Prison Break Though pronounced dead, Travis was surprised to find himself awoke and alive a cell similar to those of Level 5. Feeling trapped and helpless, he was surprised at the appearance of Benjamin Reed who shockingly helped him escape from his locked room (of course, only through an ultimatum that he'd help Benjamin take down the government). While free he went out searching for the rest of his Watcher's P.I. team and thinking up ways to resurrect it. Not knowing if any of his friends were alive or dead, he planned to partner up with Benjamin until his services were no longer needed from him, and until he could once again get the Watcher's P.I. fully operative again. During his run in with the government man, Travis met with Andrea Cryer whom came for help from the man. She was the man's first "unofficial" case since returning back to work. When Benjamin lost contact with Travis soon after they both infiltrated a government building with other specials, Travis met once again with friend and former nemesis Gwen Matthews. The man tells the woman of his failures and plans to give up heroism altogether, but the woman helps to talk the man out of it. Taking her words into deep consideration and using them as somewhat of a guideline, Travis was able to once again shed hope on his plan to bring back his business. Watchers P.I. Returns Upon returning to the old and rather unkempt Watchers' HQ, Travis met with Harrison in a emotional reunion. In the process he meets Zoey Lindstrom whom Harrison announces will be taking his place as Co-Leader of the Watchers P.I. It is uncertain whether or not Harrison is making a permanent leave or not, but the change is something that the man does not take welly at first. When he finds out that Zoey was actually Pulse, than he begins to grow more comfortable of her. As soon as Harrison leaves, Travis' other friend and member of the Watchers, Michael Zyre, makes himself present. The three are left alone to discuss the future of the Watchers P.I. and ultimately decide that it'd be best to rehire new members. It is unclear of the whereabouts of either Anzhela or Trixie, but Michael informs them that he saw them escape the hold of the government abductors. Travis, Michael and Zoey soon hold tryouts for the Watchers P.I. to which involved a "Who Done It?" mystery. A total of almost 10 participants showed up, but only three made the cut: Andrea Cryer, Gwen Matthews, and Conall Albans. With Michael, Zoey, and Travis already on board, these six would make up the new wave of Watchers. The Nursery Rhyme Killer Travis is now romantically link to Gwen Matthews, his Watchers co-worker. The groups' first huge mission came in the form of pumpkins laid across their front door, body parts stuffed inside of them. This act was caused by a man only known as The Nursery Rhyme Killer. Though the Watchers devoted much time trying to find out who this Nursery Rhyme Killer (or NRK for short) was, they slowly ventured off into other cases and issues in their life that put the killer's issues on hold; Travis steady searching for this Zeph character for example. It wasn't long until the NRK decided to break into Travis's apartment and hang him over his patio during a rainy night. That same night, Gwen Matthews came to his apartment where she confronted the NRK and helped Travis off his noose. A piece of paper with a rhyme on it was left behind that prompted the man to call a meeting with all of the other Watchers. During the meeting, it was soon discovered by way of a couple of pictures containing Conall Saint Albans' girlfriend, Janet Marie Dixon -- and Harrison's (now ex) wife, Phoebe. A rhyme was left behind giving clues to the whereabouts of each of the kidnapped women. The Watchers were both split into two teams and a destination; Travis's team consisting of Gwen and Zoey going to the Statue of liberty. Once there, the team soon discovers the NRK there and the kidnapped Phoebe as well. They also catch sight of Andy Crea who is now dead -- her throat slit and blood covered all over herself and the killer. The killer and Travis exchange words with each other until it is revealed that the NRK is indeed Zeph, the man that Travis had been told by his mother to search for. It is also revealed that Zeph is the half-brother to Travis, claiming that he wants to accomplish much with younger brother. Stunned, the male Watcher waists no time allowing for Gwen to quickly save Phoebe and watch Zoey stab his brother multiple time. Suddenly the appearance of several figures come from within the statue and take Zeph's dying body, uttering not a word nor acknowledging the Watchers there. Travis is not concerned, for he is still shocked at the news of whom Zeph really is, knowing that this would not be the last time he would see him. Personality and Appearance Travis is African-American with light skin and defined features. He is 5’8 and weighs 156 lbs. He has brown eyes that get lighter in direct sunlight, and his hair is always kept cut down to a fade. He wears simple colored clothes, primarily blacks and whites considering those are his favorite colors. Because of his ability and his ability to fly, Ray works out periodically which keeps him lean and in shape for such occasions. He likes to wear loose clothes so that he won’t be restricted when having to use his ability, but he always has a pair of sturdy tan boots on. Travis Payne is a reserved individual who has little to nothing to say. He doesn’t involve himself too much in the affairs of others, but is willing to help anyone if he is needed. He thinks more with his heart than he does with his head, which can sometimes lead him into trouble and conflict. Travis is also very competitive, so it would be hard pressed for him to back down from any type of challenge. He hates to take chances in situations that he can’t control, leading him sometimes to panic. He has a great respect and fear for his ability; Because of this, Travis tries desperately to keep himself calm and at ease so that he will be in control of his ability at all times. This is not easy considering Travis’ temper problem that can be stirred up easily if one knows what buttons to push. He has his moments where he can be ridiculously stubborn and is hard to persuade once his mind is made up on an issue. Travis is complex with a laid back attitude, which is why he chooses to take life one day at a time. Powers and Limits Aerokinesis is the ability to control wind/air. With his ability he is able to move objects through his manipulation of wind. He is also able to create strong wind currents which is useful when trying to slow down objects/people. He is also able to create small whirlwinds around an individual that can cause possible disorientation, abrasion, or suffocation. Also, with enough energy, he is allowed fly with ease. The amount of weight the man has to carry while flying will depend on the amount of energy and strength he has. Though Travis is well beyond experienced with his ability, any attempt to use his power beyond his comfort zone can be hazardous to both himself and other individuals. He is not able to move multiple objects heavier than his own body weight, which also applies with his ability of slowing down a moving object/person using wind currents. Under heavy stress or anger, Travis will lose control of his ability and cause unknown repercussions. Trivia 1) The Fan Fic "Impending Payne" showcase the 48 hours prior to Travis and his mother, Janet, getting shot. 2) Travis was originally going to have family ties with Nick Black, but due to continuity issues and lack of plotting, the idea was never put into prospect. 3) Corina Forysthe was planned to be Travis' first major romance counterpart, but due to complications the story feel flat before the relationship could go anywhere. 4) It was always planned to have Travis become a Villain by the end of Volume III, but the change in story and the events that led up to the Watcher's P.I. altered those plans. Category:Characters Category:Watchers P.I.